Pearl River, NY — Authorities have yet to release the name of a man who was injured in a bus accident in Pearl River, New York, on Tuesday, April 8. The accident took place at the intersection of North Middletown Road and East Central Avenue, at around four in the afternoon.
According to reports, the man was attempting to cross the street when he was struck by a Rockland Coaches Bus.
Authorities are waiting to release his name until his family has been notified.
The man suffered severe head injuries as well as other trauma and was taken to Nyack Hospital for treatment.
Rockland Coaches have said they’re cooperating fully with the authorities’ investigation. Local police are asking that anyone who witnessed the accident to call (845) 359-3700.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Often, these sorts of cases can get murky, as a lot of people don’t understand the legality of crossing the street in an unmarked zone. If a driver sees a pedestrian on the street and can stop or get out of their way within a reasonable amount of time, then the pedestrian always wins, as it were. Even if that pedestrian is not walking in a crosswalk, you have to yield the right of way to them. The only time this doesn’t really apply is when a pedestrian is on a sidewalk and stepping out onto the street as a vehicle approaches.
In this case specifically, whether the man who was hit was in a crosswalk or not, it seems as if the driver would have had plenty of time to see them. A quick check of Google Maps shows us that North Middletown is a nice long stretch of road. So we have to ask why the driver hit the pedestrian. Were they not paying attention to the road? If not, why not?
Of course, it is always possible that the accident truly isn’t the fault of the bus driver. The investigation may find that the pedestrian jumped out into the street and the bus didn’t have time to stop. Reports I’ve read haven’t made any mention of that, so I’m not sure how much money I’d put on it.
